


Learning to Let Go

by Walking_in_Wonderland



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Angst, Cute, F/F, Fluff, and isn't happy about it, just a little, lots of feelings, mal gets glasses, mentions of past trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-26
Updated: 2017-09-26
Packaged: 2019-01-05 14:15:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12191505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Walking_in_Wonderland/pseuds/Walking_in_Wonderland
Summary: When Mal refuses to wear the glasses that the doctor's prescribed for her, Evie discovers that there are underlying issues that need to be talked about. Mal can't seem to let go of how life was on The Isle, but Evie is determined to help her move on with their new life in Auradon.





	Learning to Let Go

Mal glared at her reflection in the mirror. “No.”

“The doctor said you need them,” Evie insisted as she held out a pair of purple glasses with golden flecks down the side.

“I don’t need them. I can see just fine.” Mal knew that was a lie. Even as she looked at their reflection in the mirror, the edges were blurred and the shapes around them out of focus, but hell would freeze over before Mal of the Isle, daughter of Maleficent would wear glasses. She crossed her arms and tried to march away. Evie grabbed her arm and stopped her.

“I went to like ten different stores to find these for you. You are going to wear them,” Evie insisted and tried to shove the glasses onto Mal’s face, but Mal was too quick and ducked out of her reach.

“I would rather eat one of your mother’s poison apples.”

“If you don’t put these on, I very well might feed one to you,” Evie threatened, her patience running thin. They had been standing in front of the mirror in their dorm for nearly thirty minutes as Evie tried to poke, prod, convince, coax, bribe, and threaten Mal into putting on the glasses the doctor had prescribed for her. She down right refused no matter what Evie had tried.

“I will not.” Mal yanked her arm out of Evie’s grip and darted for the door.

“Don’t you dare!” Evie warned as she pounced toward Mal and caught one of her arms before she could throw open the door and escape down the hall.

Mal tried in vain to pull free from Evie’s grip, but Evie was bigger and stronger. When Mal couldn’t break free she just glared, her eyes flashing bright green.

“Why won’t you wear them?” Evie demanded as she pulled Mal closer and tucked the glasses into her pocket for safekeeping.

“Because I don’t want to!”

With her other hand free Evie latched onto Mal. They struggled together, both of them trying to overpower the other. Evie used her strength to her advantage and pinned Mal in her arms, but Mal was faster, determined, and stubborn. She wriggled until she slipped loose from Evie’s grip and made another bolt for the door. Evie lunged for her and missed.

Heart soaring with the chance at freedom, Mal sprinted to the other side of the room just as the door swung open. Jay and Carlos stood on the other side. She was going too fast to stop and barrelled right into Jay’s chest. Her momentum sent them both tumbling to the floor. Even before they hit the ground Mal had already tensed, ready to leap back to her feet and run before they could stop her.

“Don’t let her get away!” Evie cried out and Mal cursed her silently. Before she could leap away Jay had her locked in his arms and pulled them both up into a sitting position. She struggled to free herself, but he was much bigger than her.

“Don’t you even think about biting me,” he warned as she stared down at his arm contemplating that very thing.

“What is going on?” Carlos asked, cocking an eyebrow as he looked from Evie to Mal and back.

“Mal won’t put on her new glasses,” Evie pouted putting her hands on her hips and squinting down at Mal.

“What? Why?” Carlos turned to Mal.

“I don’t need them.”

Jay laughed. “Uh, yeah you do. Remember in class the other day when you misread Fairy Godmother as farty goat monster? You were in the front row. You need glasses.”

“Villains don’t wear glasses.”

They all went silent. A tension made electricity buzz in the air. All eyes were on Mal, but she refused to meet anyone’s gaze. Magic tingled in her fingertips, and she seriously considered blasting a spell at Jay to make him let her go so she could escape all their stares.

“We aren’t villains anymore, Mal,” Evie said, her voice barely more than a whisper.

“Yeah, well, just because we’re not on The Isle anymore doesn’t mean I want people to think I’ve gone soft,” Mal spat out as she struggled in vain against Jay’s grip. “Those stupid glasses will make me look weak.”

Evie’s gaze flicked up to Jay’s. Mal could feel them communicating without words, and it made her want to punch Jay right in the teeth. Evie too.

“You know what, Carlos and I will come back later.” He let go of Mal and pulled them both to their feet. She tried to make a run for it, but Evie caught her arm and pulled her back into the room.

“No you don’t.”

Carlos pulled the door closed behind him, and they were alone once more.

Evie spun her around so they were facing each other and took Mal’s hands. Her stare burning into Mal made Mal uncomfortable. She shifted her weight from foot to foot and looked anywhere but at Evie’s eyes. They were filled with sympathy. It made Mal feel small and exposed.

“M, we aren’t on The Isle anymore.”

“I know that.”

“Please look at me.”

Evie squeezed her hands, but it felt like she had squeezed Mal’s heart instead. She bit her lip and stared down at their joined hands. She could feel hers shaking and hoped Evie hadn’t noticed. A soft hand reached out to lift her chin until their eyes met. Mal didn’t fight it, but she flinched when she saw Evie’s soft brown eyes searching her face.

“We don’t have to fight for every little thing anymore, M. No one’s going to try to hurt us here. It’s okay not to be tough all the time, and it’s okay to need help.”

“I don’t need anyone’s help,” Mal spat out as she batted Evie’s hand away from her face. “I’m fine, and I don’t need those stupid glasses.” When she tried to pull her hand away Evie refused to let go and instead pulled Mal toward her bed.

“Come here, I want to tell you something.” Mal let Evie sit her down on the bed so they were facing each other, Evie’s soft hand still wrapped around her own.

“I know it hasn’t been an easy adjustment for you. It’s been hard for all of us to let go of the survival mentality we had on The Isle, but I promise you that no one is going to take advantage of you here the way they did back home.”

“How do you know that?” Mal’s voice was weak. She refused to look at Evie when she spoke, but the fear and uncertainty in her words made Evie want nothing more than to pull her close and never let her go. They had been through so much on The Isle. They’d had to do so many horrible things just to survive. Surviving meant putting on a mean face and shoving everyone else down before they could even get the chance to knock you down. Letting people know your weaknesses only made it easier for them to take advantage of you.

“Because a few days ago I had a serious breakdown in front of Lonnie and Jane, and you know what? They didn’t jump at the chance to hurt me. They were kind.”

“What happened?” Mal murmured as she drew patterns into the back of Evie’s hand and refused to meet her eyes.

“Gym class had gotten out late, so I didn’t have time to shower and fix myself back up like I usually do. I felt dirty and repulsive and ugly. I started thinking about what my mother would do to me if she saw me walk out of that locker room looking less than perfect, and I panicked. I came apart right there in front of everyone. But instead of making fun of me, they tried to help me. Lonnie fixed my makeup and Jane braided my hair for me, so you couldn’t tell how dirty it was. Audrey even let me borrow her perfume.”

“Audrey? Really?”

Evie laughed and squeezed Mal’s hand. “Yeah, I was surprised too. But people’s first instinct here isn’t malice. No one is going to be cruel because you need glasses. And if they are you know that Jay, Carlos, and I will be right there to knock them on their asses if they try.”

“I’m perfectly capable of doing that myself, thanks.” Mal retorted, but still she offered Evie a small smile.

“I know you can, but you also need to know it’s okay to need help. Just because you are hurt or sick or need someone to take care of you - or need glasses, doesn’t mean you’re not the tough girl from The Isle that you’ve always been. Needing help doesn’t negate how strong you are.” When Evie spoke with such sincerity burning in her voice, Mal couldn’t help but listen.

Slowly, hesitantly Mal nodded. She clung to Evie’s hand and looked up to meet her gaze. “I’ll try to be better.”

“It’s not about being better or worse,” Evie reached up and cupped her cheek, “it’s about learning that you can trust people to be kind.”

Mal reached up and laid her hand over Evie’s, leaning into her touch. Evie could see watery tears forming in Mal’s eyes.

“I don’t know how.”

“Neither do I, but we’ll learn together, okay?”

Mal nodded and pressed a small kiss into Evie’s palm that made electricity shoot up Evie’s arm. Evie gave Mal a warm smile before pulling her forward and enveloping her into a tight embrace.

“Okay, now will you put these on?” Evie asked when they finally pulled apart. She pulled the glasses out of her pocket and offered them to Mal.

Mal rolled her eyes. “Ugh, fine.”

She snatched the glasses from Evie and shoved them onto her nose. As soon as they were on her smile disappeared, to be replaced with a sour grimace.

“What? Are they not right? Can you see okay?” Evie leaned forward in concern.

Mal crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at Evie. “You’re even more beautiful now, and honestly it kind of pisses me off.”

Evie laughed. It was a light, carefree sound that lit up Evie’s face and made Mal’s heart skip a beat. Without warning Evie leaned forward and pulled Mal into a kiss that left them both breathless and flushed. Mal felt a lightness in her chest, and for the first time since they’d come to Auradon she let herself believe that maybe Evie was right and they could learn how to be happy here.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! I hope you all liked it! They're just so gay and cute and precious and I love them. If you want more lovely gayness like this follow me on tumblr: alifeoflesbionage


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